Metal-shaping apparatus



- May 28, 1940. c. A. MOCUTCHEON 2,202,018

METAL- SHAPING APPARATUS Filed y 18. 1939 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 50 FORMING5 .5 PRESS 741 y I l 6 H 0 @D BENDING c HEATING FURNACE g MACHINE g 71?B 70. 14 Y Y O R IZ 5 v FORMING 1 PRESS 4 Q fg-.1. v 5 g 2;

N DRAW FURNACE 6 '7 k 6 g DISCHA r. IGUENGHING BArH 5 ll co-vevoa 5 "ISTATION U D o-o? Snuentor May 28, 1940. c. A. McCUTCHEON 2,202,018

METAL-SHAPING APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Imventor 76% MM/%W (Ittornegs May 28, 1940.

c. A. mccu-rcl-lsou METAL- SHAPING APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1939 4Sheets-Sheet 3 1' .lll.

Zmvcufor 36 6%4/0 a We W0 36 y MJ/ /1445 Gttornego c. A. M cu'rcHEoN12,202,018 METAL-SHAPING APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1939 May 28, 1940;

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I I 32 23g 23 I I, 3/ Emwntor g (l2 ///c 'l. g W/MMQv dttornc f Patented May 28, 1940 orrsn STATES PATENT Fl METAL-SHAPINGAPPARATUS Clyde A. McGutcheon,

Coraopolis, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Forgings Company, a corpora tionof Delaware Application May 18, 1939, Serial No. 274,397

metal articles, particularly to articles that are shaped from bars orstraps of steel. The invention consists in improvements in apparatus.

2,015,194, granted on September 24, 1935, to one Max Ruping, a resilientrail fastener is illustrated and described, and in exemplary way I shalldescribe the apparatus of the present invention as it has been developedfor the manufacture of such rail fastener.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a diagrammatic view in plan ofapparatus in which the invention is embodied. Fig, II is a fragmentaryview in side elevation of a heating furnace and bending machine withwhich the apparatus may be organized. Fig. III is a View to largerscale, showing partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionthe cooperating dies of the apparatus; the dies are inopen-work-receiving position, and a blank is shown in the matrix of thelower die, ready for the upper die to close upon it. Fig. IV is avviewin front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. III, with the blankomitted. Fig. IVa is a fragmentary sectional view on the plane AA ofFig. III. Fig. V is a View comparable with Fig. III, showing the upperdie in course of descent upon the lower, and illustrating the blankpartly formed into the ultimate article. Fig. VI is a View comparablewith Figs. III and V, showing the dies completely closed and the articlecompletely formed. And Fig. VII is a View in side elevation of thefinished article.

The resilient rail fastener is illustrated in'Fig. VII of the drawings.It consists in a bipartite body that includes a shank portion l and ahead portion 2, integrally formed of a medially folded.

strap of spring steel. The two limbs of the strap extend from the foldin face-to-face, contact, 40 and the body of metal at the fold isexternally tapered, as at 3, to provide a blunt point. At the endopposite such point the bipartite body of the article extends laterally(reversely curved in its.

In Letters Patent of the United States, No.

the steel of which the straps are formed is a.

spring steel, including from .90 to 1.05 per cent. carbon, and thestraps-are heated to a working temperature of 1700" F, more or less. Theheated straps are removed (either automatically or manually) from thefurnace, and positioned one by one upon the table 5 of a bending machine5t.

lPhe table 5 is provided with a medial slot 8, Q

and upon the face of the table a pair of Workshaping blocks 1, and rolls8, 8 are mounted, one block and one roll on each side of the slot 5, asshown in Fig, I. Beneath the table (Fig. II) an endless chain 9 istrained over sprocket wheels l0 and I08, and in known way an electricmotor and, driving connections (not shown) are provided for rotating thesprocket-wheels and drivingv the chain 9 in the direction of the arrowsin Fig. II. The chain carries a plurality of dogs H that are arranged atsuitably spaced points in the peripheral extent of the chain, and in theoperation of the machine these dogs, moving upward around the sprocketwheel Hit, enter the slot 5 in the table 5 and travel in leit-to-rightdirection. As shown in Fig. II, the distal ends of the advancing dogsproject above the surface of the table 5, and as presently will appear,provide traveling abutments that cooperate with the blocks 1, I androlls 8, 8 in shaping the work.

More specifically, the heated straps S are ejected or removed one by onefrom the furnace 4 and positioned upon the top of table 5. Each strap Sis centered between gauge-blocks l2, 92 on the table (Fig. I) andbrought to position against the edges la, la of the blocks; while thestrap lies in such position one of the continuously traveling: dogs ll(the first dog to enter the slot 6 when the strap has been sopositioned) moves'into contact with the strap, and, while the oppositeends of the strap bear against the stationary edges la, 1a,.theadvancing dog carries .the medial body portion of the strap forward between the two convergent edges 'lbL lb of the blocks. As the center ofthe strap is thus carried inward between the blocks 7, l, the-oppositeends of the strap swing angularly from the edges la, la,.and the body ofthe strap becomes V-shaped. In the continuous advance of the dog thestrap is carried, with'the apex of the V in the lead, from the passbetween the blocks 1, 1 into and through the pass formed by and betweenthe rolls 8, 8, with the consequence and effect that the legs of the Vare brought together, forming the strap into a narrow U-shaped blank B,as shown. When the trailing end of the blank B emerges from the rollpass, the dog reaches the end of the horizontal course through which thechain 9 travels, and as the chain rounds the sprocketwheel Ill inclockwise direction (Fig. II), the dog moves downward in circular courseand is withdrawn first from the folded end of the blank and then fromthe slot 6 in the table 5. The blank lies freely upon the surface of thetable.

At this point in the specification, it is to be noted that thegauge-blocks i2, i2 are arranged at unequal intervals on opposite sidesof the slot 8 in the table, to the end that one leg of the U- shapedblank shall be slightly longer than the other, as shown in Fig. I. Theadvantage of this refinement will presently appear.

At the delivery end of the table 5, two forming presses l3, l3 arearranged, and in these presses the U-shaped blanks B are formed into thearticle shown in Fig. VII. Ordinarily, one press only is operated, theother being held in readiness in case of a breakdown. In service theblanks B are removed (either mechanically or manually) from the table 5,and introduced one by one to the active forming press. In a singlestroke of the press, each blank B is formed into a finished article(Fig. VII).

Upon leaving the forming dies of the press, the formed articles movedown a slideway to the surface of an endless conveyor M, and on suchconveyor are carried into an annealing furnace l5. Emerging from theannealing furnace, the articles are conveyed through a quenching bathl6, and from the quenching bath the articles go to a draw furnace i550.If, as sometimes will be the case, the draw furnace is remote from thequenching bath, the articles are collected in a receptacle I! at thedelivery end of the bath, and in such receptacle the articles arecarried to and introduced to the remote draw furnace. If, on the otherhand, available space permits the draw furnace l 56 to be locatedadjacent to the discharge end of the quenching bath, the articles comingfrom the bath are conveyed immediately into the furnace.

It will be understood that the operation of the press l3 and the speedof the conveyor M may be so regulated that the forged articles aredelivered to quenching furnace IE5 at a temperature of from 900 to 1300degrees F. Indeed, the speeds of advance of the articles through eachunit of the apparatus may be regulated so that the annealing, quenching,and drawing of the articles is accomplished in accordance withrecognized good practice. Further detail in the matter of heat treatmentis unnecessary to a full understanding of the invention.

The invention is centered in the forming presses [3. Turning to Figs.III to VI, it will be perceived that each press includes a female dieand a male die. The female die consists in an anvil block 58 which isintegrated with a base 28, and the male die consists in a block l9, heldin assembly with a head 2!, by means of a plurality of Vertical stems-inthis case four stems 22. The female die assembly 58, 20 is rigidlysecured upon the bed of the press (not shown), while the male dieassembly [9, 2i is carried by the vertically reciprocable cross-head ofthe press. I do not show the press structure proper, for the reason thatthere are many known makes of presses which may be used, and there is noradical departure from common practice in the manner in which I assemblethe dies in the press.

When the cross-head of the press is at the upper end of its stroke, thedies are separated, as shown in Figs. III and IV; and, alternately,

when the cross-head is at the lower end of its stroke, the dies arepowerfully closed, as shown in Fig. VI.

Within the upper face of the die block H] a matrix 23 is formed, andthis matrix is adapted when the press closes to receive a male portion 2carried by the die block 19, and to cooperate with such male die portionin shaping the folded end of a blank B into the shank portion l, 3 ofthe rail fastener. (Note Figs. VI and VII.) The matrix 23 is continueddownward from the upper horizontal face of the die block it! between twovertical flanges 25 on the side of the die block, and the body of theblock between these flanges is contoured, providing a matrix portion 23ain the form of the head 2 of the rail fastener. And it will be notedthat the outer edges of the flanges 25 are parallel with the contouredwall of such matrix portion.

Means cooperate with the matrix portion 23a, while the folded end of ablank B is by the male die held captive in matrix 23, in forming thebipartite end of the blank into the curved head of the rail fastener.Such means consist in this case in a roll 28, arranged between, andtrunnioned in, the lower ends of a pair of lever arms 2?. The lever arms2'4 are pivoted, on a common axis 28, to the body of the upperdie-carrying block 2i, and a tension spring 25) is secured between suchblock and the upper end of each arm 2?. The block 2! carries abutments,in this case in the form of rigid pins 27?], that prevent the arms 2?from swinging counterclockwise from the vertical position in which theyappear, one behind the other, in Fig. III, but it will be understoodthat, opposed by spring tension, the arms may swing in unison through alimited range in clockwise direction. On the base 20 of the lower dieassembly two vertical cam-bars 30 are rigidly mounted, and on the axle33 of the roll 26 at the lower ends of lever arms 27 two cam rollers 32are mounted for free rotation. In the operation of the press, when theupper die assembly closes upon the lower, the rollers 32 (movingdownward with the upper die assembly) engage and roll upon the inwardlycurved edges 3! of the cam-bars 3! with the consequence and effect thatthe descending lever arms 2'5 are swung clockwise and the roll 26 causedaccurat'ely to shape the bipartite end of a blank B to the contour ofthe matrix portion 23a.

As already mentioned, the upper die block I9 is assembled with thesupporting block 2!, by means of four stems 22. These stems consist,

in this case, in bolts whose threaded ends are rigidly secured in thebody of the block 2i the four bolts extend in parallelism downward fromthe supporting block 2! and carry heads 220. at their lower ends, andbetween the heads 22a and the body of block 22, the die block 19 isvertically movable on the shanks of the bolts. A helical compressionspring 3 3 is mounted on the shank of each bolt or stem 22. Thesesprings are effective between the blocks 21 and I9, and tend to maintainthe block E5) in a position spaced from the bottom of block 2|, with thebottom of the block I9 bearing against the heads of the bolts 22. (NoteFig. III.) And it is to be noted that the bodies of the blocks l9 and 2|are recessed, as at 35, to receive the opposite ends of the springs 34.By virtue of such structure, the block 2| may, as presently will appear,be closed tightly upon the block HQ, with the springs 34 compressed andnested entirely within the pockets 35.

In the operation of the press, a heated blank B is removed from thetab-1e 5 (Fig. I), and, while the continuously reciprocated upper dieassembly is at the top of its stroke, the blank is positioned in thematrix 23 of the lower die block. It is important to note that theU-shaped blank is placed in the matrix, with the longer leg of the Uabove the shorter, and in order to facilitate the accurate positioningof the blank in the matrix, I provide a fixed, though adjustable, stop35, and a pair of lateral guides 36!], such guides being spaced-apartlaterally and arranged at an interval from and in parallelism with theflanges 25 on the female die block. (Note Figs. III and IVa).Conveniently, the stop 36 and guides 3% are carried by the cam-bars 353,as shown. The blank B is positioned in the die block l8, with the end ofthe longer leg of the U abutting against the stop 36, and with the endsof both legs between the guides 360. (Note Fig. III.) Presently, thecontinuously reciprocated upper die assembly descends, and in the courseof such positive movement the following operations are effected:

1. The male die portion 24 of the die block :9 enters the matrix 23 andengages the folded end of the blank B. The downwardly moving die blockit is arrested, with the folded end of the blank securely clamped, underthe tension of springs 33, between the die blocks I8 and I9.

2. While the two limbs at the folded end of the blank are thus heldagainst longitudinal displacement in the matrix 23, the spring-resisteddescent of the head 2i and lever arms 2? continues unabated; theinterval between the block is and the head 2i decreases, the rollers 32at the lower ends of the lever arms 2'1, thus carried downward, makecontact with the upper ends of the vertical cam-rails 3B; thecompression of springs 34 increases; and the pressure on the clamped endof the blank is correspondingly increased.

3. The roll 26, carried downward by the descending lever arms 21, movesinto contact with the paired limbs of the blank extending from theclosed dies. As the movement of the descending parts continues withoutinterruption, the otherwise free limbs of the blank are by the rollpressed downward and rolled, from a medial point outward, limb againstlimb, into the crook-shaped matrix portion 23a. (Note Fig. V.) The camedges 3i are so contoured that, as the rollers 32 move downward incontact therewith, the paired lever arms 27, holding at first to astraight vertical course, swing clockwise and move the descending roll26 through such path that the bipartite end of the blank is formed tothe exact curvature of the matrix portion 230.. The desired crook-shapedhead is thus formed in the article. (Note Fig. VI.)

l. As the roll 25 approaches the end of its blank-forming sweep, thesprings 34 are completely compressed within the pockets 35, and thedescending block 2! closes upon the die block it. While the bipartiteend of the formed crook is by the roll 26 secured upon the contouredsurface of the die block it, the supporting head 2| abuts upon the dieblock I9 and presses it downward with great pressure. That is to say,the die block I9 is forced downward from the position shown in Fig. V,in which it primarily serves to clamp the folded end of the blank uponthe block it, to the position shown in Fig. VI, in which the male dieportion 24 cooperates with the matrix 23 in tightly closing the foldedend of the blank and pressing it to its ultimate shape. It will be notedthat the die portion 24 and matrix 23 are so particularly fashioned (at241) and 2311) that the desired slight taper 3 is provided at thepointed end of the shank.

5. Simultaneously with such powerful closing of the die block I9 uponthe block [8, the crockshaped head of the formed article is engaged by aportion of the block 2|. That is, a rigid die portion 21a depends fromthe body of the block 2 I and the lower end of this portion 2 la isshaped to the curvature of the formed article, in the region between theshank portion l and the head portion 2. As the die block l9 enters itsultimate shank-forming position (Fig. VI) the die portion Zia closestightly upon the shaped blank, as shown, with the effect that not onlyis relative movement between the two limbs of the formed articleprevented, but a set is given to the metal in the region of greatestcurvature.

The advantage of forming one leg of the U- shaped blank longer than theother will now be manifest. Comparing Figs. III and VI, it will beunderstood that, while the folded end of the blank is held againstlongitudinal displacement and the roller 28 is shaping the bipartite endof the blank against the contoured die block, the outer ends of the twolimbs of the blank are free for relative longitudinal movement. Thus,during the rolling of the bipartite end of the blank against the convexface of the die block l8, relative movement between the outer ends ofthe limbs is effected. The greater length of the upper limb of the Umakes compensation for the radial difference in curvature between theinner and outer limbs of the blank, so that in the finished article theouter ends of the two limbs lie flush, or substantially so, as shown inFigs. VI and VII.

In refinement of the apparatus described, I provide means for laterallyflattening and aligning the two limbs in the shank portion of theformedv article, it being, noted that the lateral guides 35!] on thebars 30 and the flanges E5 on the contoured face of block l8 serve toinsure that the limbs shall be aligned in the crookshaped head portion.Such means consist in a die plate or slide 38 (Fig. IV) arranged in aslideway 39 in the body of the lower die block l8. The upper die blockl9 carries a cam block 40 which, when die block 19 is powerfully closedupon block I8, moves downward upon an inclined face 38a on the outeredge of die plate 38, and effects the movement of the die plate inward,pressing its inner edge forcefully against the folded body of metalwithin the matrix 23. In such manner the two limbs of the article arediepressed into precise alignment.

In still further refinement of the apparatus described, I provide meansfor dislodging the formed article from the matrix in die block l8.Specifically, I provide an orifice 6! in the wall of the matrix,preferably in the contoured floor of the matrix and at the point wherethe convexity of the contour is greatest. (Note Figs. III to VI.) Fluidunder pressure is supplied to this orifice, and preferably compressedair is the fluid used. In this case a tank 62 of compressed air isconnected to the orifice, by means of a lead 63 and a passage 64 formedin the body of the die block. Advantageously, if not essentially,communication between the tank and the orifice remains open, and so longas the orifice ti is uncovered a jet of air plays into the openatmosphere.

all)

When in service the upper die assembly of the machine descends andpresses the bipartite end of a blank into the matrix portion 23a, theorifice Si is closed by the body of the blank being shaped. The flow of.air from the orifice is thus interrupted, but it will be understood thatair at supply pressure is eifective upon the inner surface of thecrook-shaped head of the formed article. When in due course the upperdie assembly rises, this air pressure is efiective to dislodge theformed article from the die l8, and the blast of air thus released blowsthe article longitudinally away from the die and directs it to theslideway I30 (Fig. I), whence the article moves under gravity to theconveyor M. It may additionally be mentioned that the streaming air,impinging upon and deflected by the body of the article leaving the die,serves to cleanse the matrix of scale.

In the foregoing specification the dies have been described as theyoperate in a vertically reciprocable press, but it will be understoodthat they may be embodied in a horizontally reciprocated press orbulldozer. And it goes without saying that other variations from, thedescription may be made within the terms and intent of the appendedclaims. And as an example of a variation contemplated, I mention thatthe limbs of the U-shaped blanks need not be spaced apart, as described;that is to say, the limbs may be tightly closed in surface-to-surfacecontact before the blanks are introduced to the dies of the formingpress.

The application for this patent comprised a continuation in part ofapplication Serial No. 209,403, filed May 23, 1938.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus including upper and lower dies relatively movable forshaping a bipartite blank between them, a matrix including a contouredwall portion in the lower die, and means carried by the upper die andmovable, during the closing of the dies, to shape the blank upon suchcontoured wall portion; the refinement herein described that consists inspaced-apart flanges extending at the sides of said contoured wallportion of the matrix and adapted laterally to secure in alignment thelimbs of said bipartite blank shaped to the contour of such wallportion, together with spaced-apart guides arranged at an interval fromand extending in parallelism with said flanges, said guides adapted toreceive between them the end of a bipartite blank to be shaped betweensaid dies and adapted during the shaping of the blank laterally to alignthe ends of the limbs of the blank with the contoured wall portion ofthe matrix between said flanges.

2. In apparatus for shaping a metal blank, said apparatus including amale die, a female die including a matrix adapted to receive such blank,said male die being reciprocable into blank-shaping position relativelyto said female die, and an auxiliary die member; the refinement hereindescribed that consists in a window formed in the wall of the matrix insaid female die, said auxiliary die comprising a slide aligned with saidwindow, and means operating as said dies close to shift said slideinward of said window into contact with the blank enclosed in saidmatrix.

3. In apparatus for shaping bipartite blanks with their two limbs inface-to-face contact, said apparatus including two dies movable on aline normal to the plane of the meeting faces of the two limbs of such ablank positioned between the I dies, a blank-shaping roll mounted inangularly movable members on one of said dies, and means organized withthe other of said dies for effecting, upon relative movement of thedies, an angular movement of said roll-supporting members; the 1refinement herein described that consists in means for truing thealignment of the two limbs of the die-shaped bipartite article, saidlast means including a slide adapted, upon the closing of the dies, tomove in a direction parallel to the plane of the meeting faces of thetwo limbs of the article positioned between the dies.

CLYDE A. MCCUTCHEON.

